Her book is told entirely in the first-person, from a wide variety of perspectives, as people who were involved are remembering the events of that week, leading up to the shootings. The event drew national news headlines and inspired a now-familiar song by Neil Young ( Four Dead in Ohio), but Wiles presents it here in a whole new light. Protests were common then, but this time, it turned deadly as the National Guardsmen opened fire on the students, killing four of them. On May 4, 1970, on the campus of Kent State University in Ohio, United States National Guardsmen were called in to quell student protests about the Vietnam War. know the basic facts of this horrific historical event, if from nothing other than pop music and culture. This is not just any historical retelling but a powerful first-person recounting, told from multiple perspectives, that was all the more stunning on audio. But this book is aimed more at teens and young adults, and it tells the story of four American college students shot by National Guardsmen while protesting the Vietnam War at Kent State. I loved Wiles' Revolution, part of her middle-grade Sixties Trilogy, and I mistakenly thought this might be a part of that series. With the new civics curriculum, it would be a great addition to any reading list.Looking for an audio book to listen to last month, I noticed a Deborah Wiles historical novel, Kent State, among my audio backlog. To whom would you recommend this book? This would be a great way for teachers to extend learning about this time frame.

Like the other 2 books in this sixties trilogy, the volume is packed with primary sources from the time, including newspaper articles, photographs, quotes, maps and more.Īnything you didn’t like about it? Each chapter introduces a new adventure/character, which could be a bit confusing to younger middle grade readers. Reading Anthem is like taking a musical tour of 1969 across the United States. Each person they meet teaches them about love, caring for each other, truth and honesty. As they make their way to San Francisco their eyes are opened to much more of the world than they knew existed.

They explore the America of 1969 through its music, protests, Vietnam veterans, communes and much more. What did you like about the book? Anthem tells the story of two teenage cousins who take off in a bus across the country to locate their brother/cousin who has been drafted for the Vietnam war. Rating: 1-5 (5 is an excellent or a Starred review) 4 Anthem by Deborah Wiles, Scholastic Press, 9780545106092, October 2019

Anthem by deborah wiles